title: Cyclooxygenase-2 expression in urinary bladder transitional cell carcinoma and its association with clinicopathological characteristics.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is the most predominant type of urinary bladder tumor. As cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 is recently introduced as an attractive target molecule in bladder TCC, we evaluated the immunohistochemical expression of this marker and its association with several clinicopathological characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was performed in the Pathology department of Sina Hospital in Tehran, Iran during 2006-2011. Ninety-two paraffin embedded blocks were selected from patients with urinary bladder TCC who underwent cystectomy or transurethral resection (TUR). Then, we assessed COX-2 expression by immunohistochemical staining using antibody against COX-2. Staining in more than 5% of tumor cells was considered as positive expression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  COX-2 was expressed in 50 % of our patients. This marker was markedly expressed in high grade bladder TCC (62.1%) versus other grades and there was statistically a significant difference in COX-2 expression between various grades (p=0.008). In addition, patients' age, lymphatic and perineurial invasion were associated with the expression of COX-2 (p=0.001, 0.015 and 0.039, respectively). However, other parameters such as stage, tumor size, venous invasion and lymph node metastasis did not show any significant relationship with this marker (all, p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  COX-2 was expressed in urinary bladder TCC especially in high grade forms, advocating its probable role in the differentiation of this tumor. Accordingly, COX-2 could be a valuable biological target molecule in the evaluation and treatment of patients with bladder TCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran E-mail : dr.olfati@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hedieh Moradi
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Tabriz
authors.forename: Golrokh
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Olfati
authors.forename: Seyed Ali
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ahmadi
authors.forename: Sudabeh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yusefnia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human